Social Studies
We will finish our study of Ancient Rome this week with a look at daily life. We will learn about the homes, clothing, and food of these ancient people. There will be no quiz this week. Instead, we will celebrate our learning with a video on Rome and a Toga Celebration; this will take place on Friday. Students will also be served a Roman-inspired treat. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Mrs. Z via email. Remember, that students do not have to wear togas, but if they do, school clothes are required underneath. Encourage your child to take advantage of this fun opportunity to be creative and bring the past to life!
Science
The Create-a-Lab projects are graded and will be coming home in tomorrow's Tuesday Take Home Folders. Please review it with your child. A revision opportunity will be offered for students who scored a 16 or lower. Students may revise their work and resubmit it to earn up to a 17 out of 20. The deadline for resubmission is Friday, February 25th. Students who simply need to edit their work (or who left portions blank) may make adjustments, or rewrite portions, of the lab sheet needing correction on a separate sheet of paper. The corrections should be stapled to the original lab sheet and rubric. If the lab itself needs to be redone, this will need to be done at home due to time constraints, but students may conduct the lab alone; they do not need to redo it with their lab group.
Our water unit will continue this week with a focus on condensation. We will learn where it comes from and what it is (the process in which water vapor, a gas, in the air turns into liquid water). This will help us continue to learn about how water can change states when it is heated or cooled, a requirement for third graders. We will have another opportunity to do some research in the textbook for a grade. On Wednesday, we will have a quiz, which your child should have written in their planner last Thursday. Please check to see if they are taking the initiative to communicate with you and be more responsible. The quiz will focus on making simple charts, how data differences can be explained (class examples included: broken thermometer, user error, cup spills, variations in ice cube amount), and how water is used and its importance. To study, talk with your child about the charts we created last week in the "Accurate Temperature Data" Lab. You can also review the lesson one review in their take home folder this week.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Newsletter Info
Science
Our new unit on Water has begun. Ask your child about the results of Super Ice Bowl I. In that exciting competition we learned what is required to change ice into water in the most efficient way possible. This week, we will become better acquainted with an important tool: the thermometer. We will practice taking the temperature of ice as it melts. This will enable us to practice the habits that good scientists use: chart making, taking accurate measurements, and recording observations. We will use the data from each group to make one large class chart, which will focus our discussion on the importance of similar data/explaining data discrepancies. We will also do some research in the textbook on the many uses of water; this will be a graded assignment where the textbook can be used as a guide. We will then move on to condensation and evaporation. Look for more info next week.
Note: Please be patient with us as we work to score the "Create-a-Lab" projects. Due to many student absences and the time required to complete the evaporation labs that students proposed, we are still finishing up the scoring rubrics.
Social Studies
Our study of ancient Rome continues with a more focused look at the intricacies of the Roman government system. We will learn about the voting practices and assembly system that was used. We will also learn about the highly organized system of roads and aqueducts that were utilized in this society for efficient transport of armies, goods, and water. There will be a quiz on Friday. Don't forget to start planning ahead for the Toga Celebration on Februrary 18th. Remember, costumes are optional, but if you choose to wear one, school clothes must be worn underneath.
Valentine's Day Ice Cream Social
Thanks so much for all your generous donations and support. Our party is going to be a great success! Please remember to send all items in by Friday, February 11th. Also, if your child plans to make cards, they must include one for all members of their homeroom class. We want to be sure everyone feels loved on this special day!
In our Math Investigation studies we have been focusing on polygons! The students know the attributes of a polygon (i.e. it has 3 or more straight, closed sides). We discussed and sorted examples and non-examples of polygons and we had a great time using Power Polygons! This week, the students will sort quadrilaterals according to a variety of criteria and we will discuss the properties of quadrilaterals. Ask your child the relationship between squares and rectangles. We will have a Math Quiz on Tuesday. Homework Sheet #20 will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Our new unit on Water has begun. Ask your child about the results of Super Ice Bowl I. In that exciting competition we learned what is required to change ice into water in the most efficient way possible. This week, we will become better acquainted with an important tool: the thermometer. We will practice taking the temperature of ice as it melts. This will enable us to practice the habits that good scientists use: chart making, taking accurate measurements, and recording observations. We will use the data from each group to make one large class chart, which will focus our discussion on the importance of similar data/explaining data discrepancies. We will also do some research in the textbook on the many uses of water; this will be a graded assignment where the textbook can be used as a guide. We will then move on to condensation and evaporation. Look for more info next week.
Note: Please be patient with us as we work to score the "Create-a-Lab" projects. Due to many student absences and the time required to complete the evaporation labs that students proposed, we are still finishing up the scoring rubrics.
Social Studies
Our study of ancient Rome continues with a more focused look at the intricacies of the Roman government system. We will learn about the voting practices and assembly system that was used. We will also learn about the highly organized system of roads and aqueducts that were utilized in this society for efficient transport of armies, goods, and water. There will be a quiz on Friday. Don't forget to start planning ahead for the Toga Celebration on Februrary 18th. Remember, costumes are optional, but if you choose to wear one, school clothes must be worn underneath.
Valentine's Day Ice Cream Social
Thanks so much for all your generous donations and support. Our party is going to be a great success! Please remember to send all items in by Friday, February 11th. Also, if your child plans to make cards, they must include one for all members of their homeroom class. We want to be sure everyone feels loved on this special day!
In our Math Investigation studies we have been focusing on polygons! The students know the attributes of a polygon (i.e. it has 3 or more straight, closed sides). We discussed and sorted examples and non-examples of polygons and we had a great time using Power Polygons! This week, the students will sort quadrilaterals according to a variety of criteria and we will discuss the properties of quadrilaterals. Ask your child the relationship between squares and rectangles. We will have a Math Quiz on Tuesday. Homework Sheet #20 will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Newsletter Info
Social Studies
We will take a closer look at one of the world's early civilizations: Mesopotamia. We will learn about the farming practices of these people who lived in the land of two rivers. We will discuss how irrigation changed the landscape and helped the Sumerian people of southern Mesopotamia. Later in the week, we will look at how people were able to specialize and learn other skills because of the food surplus in the region. There will be a quiz Friday.
Science
Please see the blog for a detailed explanation of our "Create-a-Lab" activities. Our student led experiments are scheduled to finish Thursday. If all goes according to plan, we will play Jeopardy in class on Friday. We will then take the unit test on the properties of solids and liquids on Monday the 31st. If this changes, students will be asked to write a note in their planner on Thursday. Please look there for updates. Thank you for your patience as we take this opportunity to let them tinker with the scientific process.
Math Workshop
We are beginning Unit 4, which is called Perimeter, Angles, and Area. In this unit, we will develop ideas about the attributes of 2-dimensional (2-D) and 3-dimensional (3-D) shapes and help the students understand how these attributes determine their classification. They will also develop ideas about linear measurement (which includes perimeter), square measurement (area), the measurement of angles, and volume. This week the students will develop their ability to use measurement tools to accurately measure objects. They will learn that perimeter is the distance around the outside edges of a 2-dimensional figure and that it can be measured. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #18 and will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday. The students will have their January Calendar Math quiz on Tuesday.
We will take a closer look at one of the world's early civilizations: Mesopotamia. We will learn about the farming practices of these people who lived in the land of two rivers. We will discuss how irrigation changed the landscape and helped the Sumerian people of southern Mesopotamia. Later in the week, we will look at how people were able to specialize and learn other skills because of the food surplus in the region. There will be a quiz Friday.
Science
Please see the blog for a detailed explanation of our "Create-a-Lab" activities. Our student led experiments are scheduled to finish Thursday. If all goes according to plan, we will play Jeopardy in class on Friday. We will then take the unit test on the properties of solids and liquids on Monday the 31st. If this changes, students will be asked to write a note in their planner on Thursday. Please look there for updates. Thank you for your patience as we take this opportunity to let them tinker with the scientific process.
Math Workshop
We are beginning Unit 4, which is called Perimeter, Angles, and Area. In this unit, we will develop ideas about the attributes of 2-dimensional (2-D) and 3-dimensional (3-D) shapes and help the students understand how these attributes determine their classification. They will also develop ideas about linear measurement (which includes perimeter), square measurement (area), the measurement of angles, and volume. This week the students will develop their ability to use measurement tools to accurately measure objects. They will learn that perimeter is the distance around the outside edges of a 2-dimensional figure and that it can be measured. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #18 and will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday. The students will have their January Calendar Math quiz on Tuesday.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Create-a-Lab Projects
Over the next two weeks, our class will be embarking on a scientific adventure...the students will be designing and conducting their own experiments, focusing on the properties of liquids and solids. The students are very excited about this project! So far, students have brainstormed ideas as a whole group, before submitting their top three choices for review. Groups were then matched according to interest. Hopefully, your child shared their lab topic with you over the weekend. The labs will be conducted at school during class time, however, we will need parent support in collecting the materials. Each group has already made a list of supplies they need to begin collecting, so if you are interested in assisting us, please talk with your child about their specific needs. This week, we will work at school to finish up the planning stages of the lab. Students will be working in groups for a portion of the science workshop, each day. They will work together to develop a group lab sheet, which includes a lab title, guiding question, a list of materials, and a list of procedures they plan to follow to conduct the lab. Next week, groups will meet again to begin carrying out their lab plans. They will record their predictions, make observations, record results, and finish up with a final conclusion. Again, this will be done at school. This will be a graded assignment, and students will be presented with a rubric that will be used for evaluation later this week. How can you help? Ask them about their progress each day. Share in their excitement. Encourage them to do their best! And as always, if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to send us an email. We will be happy to address your concerns.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Newsletter Info
Social Studies
Our focus will shift back in time to the world's earliest communities. We will learn about this prehistoric time before people learned to write. We will learn how early people lived, and we will discuss the similarities and differences between our civilization and theirs. We will also learn about the farming practices of these early people, as well as how these practices changed the land.
Science
We will spend the first part of the week learning about the scientific process in greater detail (i.e. how scientists gather evidence to prove their conclusions), so that we can spend the latter half of the week developing and carrying out our own student-designed experiments on solids and liquids. There will be a quiz on Wednesday, which will be a review of the properties and molecular configuration of solids, liquids, and gases. Your child's science notebook, which includes notes from class and lab sheets from experiments, is the best study tool for this quiz.
Math Workshop
Our class is wrapping up our work with the Math Investigations unit about patterns and functions called Stories, Tables, and Graphs. In this unit the students learn about situations that involve change and ways to mathematically describe and represent this change. They will use tables and graphs to represent how one quantity changes in relation to another quanitity. A family letter was sent home on Tuesday, January 4th that included the benchmark goals for this unit and examples of graphs and tables with example questions for each. The students will have the end of unit assessment on Friday.
Our focus will shift back in time to the world's earliest communities. We will learn about this prehistoric time before people learned to write. We will learn how early people lived, and we will discuss the similarities and differences between our civilization and theirs. We will also learn about the farming practices of these early people, as well as how these practices changed the land.
Science
We will spend the first part of the week learning about the scientific process in greater detail (i.e. how scientists gather evidence to prove their conclusions), so that we can spend the latter half of the week developing and carrying out our own student-designed experiments on solids and liquids. There will be a quiz on Wednesday, which will be a review of the properties and molecular configuration of solids, liquids, and gases. Your child's science notebook, which includes notes from class and lab sheets from experiments, is the best study tool for this quiz.
Math Workshop
Our class is wrapping up our work with the Math Investigations unit about patterns and functions called Stories, Tables, and Graphs. In this unit the students learn about situations that involve change and ways to mathematically describe and represent this change. They will use tables and graphs to represent how one quantity changes in relation to another quanitity. A family letter was sent home on Tuesday, January 4th that included the benchmark goals for this unit and examples of graphs and tables with example questions for each. The students will have the end of unit assessment on Friday.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Newsletter Info
In Math Workshop, the students are using multiplication combinations to solve division problems and are working to understand the inverse relationship between the two operations. For example, a chocolate chip cookie has 5 chocolate chips in it. If there are 6 chocolate chip cookies, how many chips are there? The corresponding division situation would be: There are 30 chocolate chips. The chips have been shared equally among 6 cookies. How many chocolate chips does each cookie have? We will continue working with multiplication and division combinations throughout the week. Our end of unit assessment is scheduled for Wednesday, December 15th. Old homework sheets are a fantastic resource to review in preparation for the test. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #16 and will be checked on Wednesday and Friday.
Social Studies
There will be a quiz Friday. If you plan to leave early for the holidays, please make sure to let us know so we can make plans for your child to take the quiz before you leave/after the break. Our focus this week will be producers and consumers. We will learn more about the people who specialize in providing us the goods and services that we want. Students will also be introduced to the concept of supply and demand.
Science
We will continue studying the properties of solids this week. Students will do some research in the textbook on the three phases of matter, and they will complete a research sheet/quiz using the book for assistance. This is not something they can study for in advance. We will also have an explore lab where we will learn how to use a balance to put objects in order according to their mass. We will end the week with a Bill Nye video on Matter, which will review all three phases of matter on an atomic level. Look in your child's science notebook for their diagram of the atoms in each phase. We will shift our focus to the properties of liquids and how they can be measured after the break.
Social Studies
There will be a quiz Friday. If you plan to leave early for the holidays, please make sure to let us know so we can make plans for your child to take the quiz before you leave/after the break. Our focus this week will be producers and consumers. We will learn more about the people who specialize in providing us the goods and services that we want. Students will also be introduced to the concept of supply and demand.
Science
We will continue studying the properties of solids this week. Students will do some research in the textbook on the three phases of matter, and they will complete a research sheet/quiz using the book for assistance. This is not something they can study for in advance. We will also have an explore lab where we will learn how to use a balance to put objects in order according to their mass. We will end the week with a Bill Nye video on Matter, which will review all three phases of matter on an atomic level. Look in your child's science notebook for their diagram of the atoms in each phase. We will shift our focus to the properties of liquids and how they can be measured after the break.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Newsletter Info
Social Studies
The focus of this week's discussion is making choices with our money. We will learn a little bit more about how businesses work to compete with one another, as well as how they generate their prices. Students will be introduced to the concepts of "opportunity cost" and "scarcity." We will also learn how businesses use ads to appeal to our emotions and generate sales. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
We begin our new unit on Matter this week. This unit will include an examinations of the following essential questions: How can we describe solids and liquids? and How can we measure solids and liquids? We will learn how to compare objects by properties such as size, shape, color, texture, and hardness. We will learn the difference between mass and volume, as we are introduced to new tools like the balance and the graduated cylinder. Please help us use correct terminology when you discuss mass and weight at home. Remember, that mass is the amount of matter in an object and weight is the measure of the pull of gravity on the amount of matter/mass in an object.
In Math Workshop, the students are understanding the inverse relationship between multiplication and division and using their knowledge to solve problems. For example, a robot has 4 hands. Each hand has 6 fingers. How many fingers does the robot have altogether? The students should recognize this is as a multiplication situation and use the equation 4x6 (4 groups of 6). They might then use skip-counting (6, 12, 18, and 24) to determine that the robots have 24 fingers. A similiar division story problem the students have worked with is as follows: Frogs usually have 4 legs. If there are 16 legs in the pond, how many frogs are there? The students should write the equation 16/4= and skip count by 4's to determine that there are 4 frogs in the pond. We will continue working with multiplication and division combinations throughout the week. Our unit will end next week and our end of unit assessment is scheduled for Wednesday, December 15th. Old homework sheets are a fantastic resource to review in preparation for the test. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #15 and will be checked on Wednesday and Friday.
The focus of this week's discussion is making choices with our money. We will learn a little bit more about how businesses work to compete with one another, as well as how they generate their prices. Students will be introduced to the concepts of "opportunity cost" and "scarcity." We will also learn how businesses use ads to appeal to our emotions and generate sales. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
We begin our new unit on Matter this week. This unit will include an examinations of the following essential questions: How can we describe solids and liquids? and How can we measure solids and liquids? We will learn how to compare objects by properties such as size, shape, color, texture, and hardness. We will learn the difference between mass and volume, as we are introduced to new tools like the balance and the graduated cylinder. Please help us use correct terminology when you discuss mass and weight at home. Remember, that mass is the amount of matter in an object and weight is the measure of the pull of gravity on the amount of matter/mass in an object.
In Math Workshop, the students are understanding the inverse relationship between multiplication and division and using their knowledge to solve problems. For example, a robot has 4 hands. Each hand has 6 fingers. How many fingers does the robot have altogether? The students should recognize this is as a multiplication situation and use the equation 4x6 (4 groups of 6). They might then use skip-counting (6, 12, 18, and 24) to determine that the robots have 24 fingers. A similiar division story problem the students have worked with is as follows: Frogs usually have 4 legs. If there are 16 legs in the pond, how many frogs are there? The students should write the equation 16/4= and skip count by 4's to determine that there are 4 frogs in the pond. We will continue working with multiplication and division combinations throughout the week. Our unit will end next week and our end of unit assessment is scheduled for Wednesday, December 15th. Old homework sheets are a fantastic resource to review in preparation for the test. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #15 and will be checked on Wednesday and Friday.
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